Many machines have been developed for excavating. One commercially available type of machine often used for excavating is a backhoe loader. Generally, a backhoe loader includes a backhoe mounted on a tractor or other machine body that is moveable along the ground on wheels or tracks. The backhoe may be the only excavating implement on the tractor or machine body, or it may be one of a plurality of implements. For example, a backhoe loader may include a backhoe mounted at one end of a tractor and a loader bucket mounted at the other end of the tractor. Stabilizing legs may also be included to hold the tractor in place while the operator is digging with the backhoe.
A typical backhoe loader may include a boom coupled to the tractor, a stick coupled to the boom, a backhoe (or bucket) coupled to the stick and various hydraulic components and linkages for controlling the movement and position of the backhoe. In general, the boom may be pivotally mounted to the machine for movement in a generally vertical plane (this can also pivot left and right with respect to the tractor); the stick may be pivotally mounted to the boom for movement generally vertical with respect to the boom; and the backhoe may be pivotally mounted to the stick. The boom and/or the stick may be a fixed length element or it may be of the extendable, telescoping type. Each of the boom, stick, and bucket may be moved about various pivotal connections by one or more actuators, such as hydraulic cylinders. Further, the entire excavating assemblage of boom, stick, and backhoe may be mounted on the machine body that functions as a turret for swinging movement in a generally horizontal plane relative to the machine body.
Since the excavating assemblage of a backhoe loader is typically mounted at the rear of the tractor, the operator faces the rear of the machine during an excavating operation. Controls for the moving and positioning the backhoe and stabilizer legs may be located convenient to the rear-facing direction, while controls for the front loader bucket, steering, engine throttle, and brake may be located convenient to the front-facing direction.
Modern backhoe loaders typically employ a joystick-based control system for the various implements that control the movement and position of the backhoe, including the hydraulics that control movements of the backhoe, boom, stick and stabilizer legs. In fact, many backhoe loaders include dual control pods, each with a joystick disposed on top of a vertically oriented arms that are spaced apart on either side of the operator's seat.
Throughout the life of a backhoe loader, operators of different sizes and shapes will operate the implement controls. These operators of various sizes and shapes require multiple seating positions during a typical work cycle, depending upon where the work is being performed relative to the eye point of the operator. Conversely, many operators must use a variety of backhoe loaders, each with different interior dimensions and different placements of the implement control pods. As a result, consistently comfortable and ergonomic operating positions for each operator for all operating situations is difficult to provide. Further, because an operator must use both right hand and left hand control pods and because the control pods are sensitive, the comfort and ergonomics of the operator's position can directly affect both productivity and safety.
Accordingly, there is a need for backhoe control pods that are more fully adjustable than the control pods that are currently available. Such an improvement may increase the productivity of operators that use a variety of backhoe loaders and/or that feel a need to adjust the positions of the control pods or the operator seat multiple times during a work operation.